| The Nature-Spirit Newsletter Quarterly from the Suwannee Canoe Outpost Volume 1, Issue #2 Winter 2008 |
| Spotlight: Our River Guide, Graham Schorb |
| Winter Events at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park |
| Nature-Spirit Essay: Good Times in Crappy Times by Steve Baxter |
| Since the last newsletter, the national and world economies have tanked. (That's the last negative thing I'll say here!) Hard economic times might signal the end of certain things we've been doing, but every end is a new beginning! If this crisis continues, we'll still have families and friends; we'll still need to rest from work; and we'll still want to enjoy our life to the fullest with the resources we have. When my mom was a kid, her family was poor. Her dad drove a truck for a living, and her mom worked in a cafeteria. Mom had two sisters and a brother, and the family didn't have a lot of money. One year, her dad bought an old bus, gutted it, put in beds and a table, and used his mechanical know-how to make it roadworthy. My mom's stories of their cross-country vacation from Kansas through the Rockies to Washington state and back were some of her fondest memories. They also camped and fished a lot while she was growing up. They had lots of good times together on those getaways! When bright, shiny economic times end for awhile, we still have lots of options when we want to get away and have a good time. Maybe we can't spend $1000 at Disney or Universal. Maybe we can't take that cruise or spend a week out-of-country. But there's plenty to do only a short distance away, without breaking our budgets. Outdoors activities offer some of the best times around. And they can be cheap compared to hotel rooms, airline tickets, and gasoline bills. If you want to get away on the cheap, you can't beat camping and fishing. If you want to get back to nature, you can't beat hiking or a trip on the river. When we get away from the crowds, the bills, and the demands on our time and energy, we recharge. Nature has a way of recharging us, automatically, so that we can return to our regular life with renewed focus and vigor. We might just meet some new people who are thinking the same way we are, too. And everybody needs stuff like that in life. Happy Holidays! --SB |
| February of 2009 marks Graham Schorb's 10-year anniversary as a driver and river guide at the Canoe Outpost. Graham has over 20 years of experience on the Suwannee, N. Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers. In that time, he has done about five camping trips per year and 20 day trips per year. That adds up to about 500 trips in all! Why does Graham love paddling these rivers so much? "I like the wind, the trees, the water, guiding the boat--all of it," Graham says. "I also like to get in touch with the natural world, which is lacking in most people's lives," he adds. Graham is the senior guide at the Canoe Outpost and has been guiding trips for eight years. |
| As you probably know, the Suwannee Canoe Outpost is located inside the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. Check out their Winter events: Nov 28 - Dec 25 Suwannee Lights Dec 12 The Loren Propper Band Dec 13 HayShakers Dec 15 KARAOKE WITH TEDDY MAC Dec 16 The Herold White Band Dec 18 KARAOKE WITH TEDDY MAC Dec 19 Inside Joke Dec 20 Teddy Mac's Legend's Christmas Show Dec 22 KARAOKE WITH TEDDY MAC Dec 23 The Herold White Band Dec 27 - Jan 1 Way Down Upon the Suwannee Trail Ride Dec 29 KARAOKE WITH TEDDY MAC Dec 30 The Herold White Band Dec 31 New Years Eve Party w/ Mike Miller Band Jan 16-17 Cornett/Carrithers Family Reunion Jan 30-31 Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Feb. 13-15 La Vie en Rose Disc Golf Tournament Feb 14 Valentine's Day Mar 7 Spring Fling Garage Sale Mar 19 Paddle Florida Group (arrive) For more info, call the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park at 386-364-1683. |
| Jen Tillman owns and operates Bodies in Balance Massage Therapy in Live Oak, Florida. Jen offers a variety of massage modalities, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Connective Tissue, Hot Stone Massage, Sports Massage, Hydrotherapy, and Neuromuscular Therapy. Jen says, "You can expect to see relief from almost any pain or chronic condition" with massage. A one-hour massage with Jen is 55.00, and a half-hour is 40.00. You can contact Jen at 386-688-4102. |
| Happy Holidays from the Suwannee Canoe Outpost! We hope the season is going well for you and that we all remember what's truly important at this time of year (and every time of year): our relationships with others. After all, sharing our time and love is the reason for the season, whether you see the holidays from a religious viewpoint or you just want to buy stuff for your loved ones and eat ham and turkey with them. Without love between people, there would be no holidays. We hope you enjoy yours! Steve Baxter, Editor/Outfitter |
| Thank you for reading the Nature-Spirit Quarterly! Suwannee Canoe Outpost 386-364-4991 www.suwanneeoutpost.com suwanneeoutpost@yahoo.com |
| Smart Christmas idea: A gift certificate for a canoe trip or a massage! The Canoe Outpost can do it by phone and mail it to you. Just call 386-364-4991. For massage details, see the article below. |
The cooler months are often the BEST time to enjoy canoe-camping! There are few or no bugs to
fight with, and curling up in a sleeping bag at night is SO cozy when it's cool at night. A campfire is a
welcome friend when the air is nippy, and it makes cooking a joyful experience. For all these reasons, most
of our overnight customers do trips between October and May.
Although it can get cold in North Florida, here are some average high and low temperatures for this area:
December High 64, Low 40
January High 62, Low 38
February High 66, Low 41
I did an upper Suwannee trip during the first week of February this year (2008), and it was 80 degrees each
day. The nights were still cool, and not a drop of rain. Perfect!
There are some precautions to take before venturing out into the cool wild. Canoe camping on the
Suwannee River is very safe, but it ain't Disney World!
1. Staying warm and dry is the key to enjoying cool-weather river trips. Your wet body loses heat 24 times
faster than when it's dry! Keep all your sleeping gear, clothing, and rain gear in dry bags.
2. Always prepare for rain by carrying rain gear. Keep in mind that it can make you sweat (wet), though.
3. A wide-brimmed hat (NOT a baseball cap!) is one of the most important parts of cold-weather or
wet-weather clothing. When it's dry, the hat keeps more heat in your body and prevents sunburn. When
it's raining, the hat keeps more of your body dry--including your head, which is where you lose much of
your body heat. (Heat rises.)
4. A knit winter cap is even better than a wide-brimmed hat when it's dry and cloudy or dark. Especially if
you're wet!
5. In an emergency, staying warm and dry is even more important than eating or drinking. Keep a
cigarette lighter in your dry bag and another one in your pocket, in case you lose the dry bag. More than
one lighter, in more than one place, is a good idea. Fire can save your life. Look for dry, dead branches in
trees if the ground is wet
6. Pack an extra set of clothes that you don't intend to use on your trip. Keep it separate from your other
clothes. It should include underwear, warm socks, long pants, a short-sleeved undershirt, and a
long-sleeved shirt, at minimum.
fight with, and curling up in a sleeping bag at night is SO cozy when it's cool at night. A campfire is a
welcome friend when the air is nippy, and it makes cooking a joyful experience. For all these reasons, most
of our overnight customers do trips between October and May.
Although it can get cold in North Florida, here are some average high and low temperatures for this area:
December High 64, Low 40
January High 62, Low 38
February High 66, Low 41
I did an upper Suwannee trip during the first week of February this year (2008), and it was 80 degrees each
day. The nights were still cool, and not a drop of rain. Perfect!
There are some precautions to take before venturing out into the cool wild. Canoe camping on the
Suwannee River is very safe, but it ain't Disney World!
1. Staying warm and dry is the key to enjoying cool-weather river trips. Your wet body loses heat 24 times
faster than when it's dry! Keep all your sleeping gear, clothing, and rain gear in dry bags.
2. Always prepare for rain by carrying rain gear. Keep in mind that it can make you sweat (wet), though.
3. A wide-brimmed hat (NOT a baseball cap!) is one of the most important parts of cold-weather or
wet-weather clothing. When it's dry, the hat keeps more heat in your body and prevents sunburn. When
it's raining, the hat keeps more of your body dry--including your head, which is where you lose much of
your body heat. (Heat rises.)
4. A knit winter cap is even better than a wide-brimmed hat when it's dry and cloudy or dark. Especially if
you're wet!
5. In an emergency, staying warm and dry is even more important than eating or drinking. Keep a
cigarette lighter in your dry bag and another one in your pocket, in case you lose the dry bag. More than
one lighter, in more than one place, is a good idea. Fire can save your life. Look for dry, dead branches in
trees if the ground is wet
6. Pack an extra set of clothes that you don't intend to use on your trip. Keep it separate from your other
clothes. It should include underwear, warm socks, long pants, a short-sleeved undershirt, and a
long-sleeved shirt, at minimum.
| TIPS FOR CANOE-CAMPING IN THE COOLER MONTHS |
| Spotlight: Local Massage Therapist, Jen Tillman |
| Factoid: The Suwannee Canoe Outpost put 132 groups on the river last winter! (Dec. 07 - Feb. 08) |
What did you think of our newsletter? Love it? Hate it? Want to contribute an article or promote your own
business in the next issue? Would you like to be notified by e-mail when the next newsletter comes out?
Did we miss anything that you'd like to see next time? Other comments? Please let us know by filling out
the form below. Trip reports are coming soon, by request!
business in the next issue? Would you like to be notified by e-mail when the next newsletter comes out?
Did we miss anything that you'd like to see next time? Other comments? Please let us know by filling out
the form below. Trip reports are coming soon, by request!
| Steve Baxter wrote this newsletter, so anything that's messed up is solely his fault! --SB |
| SPECIAL WEEKDAY GETAWAY PACKAGES: Did you know that you and a loved one can spend two nights in a cabin and also get golf cart rental, horseback rides, canoe trips (and more!) for only $250? It's true. |